Three Campuses Across Eastern Hillsborough and East Pasco
Fellowship Baptist Church has grown from a small storefront prayer group into a three-campus ministry serving communities along the US-301 and US-92 corridors east of Tampa. The flagship 301 Campus stands on fifteen acres in Thonotosassa, with the Seffner Campus a short drive south and the newer East Pasco Campus reaching into Zephyrhills. Pastor Mike Grover, who has led the church since 2007, frames the work in one sentence: "Engaging our communities and beyond with the life-changing gospel and love of Jesus Christ."
What unifies the three locations is a shared set of values - Love People, Live Authentically, Think Biblically, Give Generously, and Pursue Excellence - and a rhythm of weekly life that includes two Sunday worship gatherings, an extensive Wednesday Family Night at the 301 Campus, and a network of small groups called LifeGroups that meet across the week.
From a Storefront on 56th Street to Three Locations
Fellowship began in December 1983, when about thirty people gathered for prayer with a vision to plant a new church. After meeting for a few weeks in the home of Clifton and Kay Frink, the group rented a storefront on 56th Street in Temple Terrace for one hundred dollars a month. In April 1984 the church was officially organized with 111 charter members, who voted Scotty Drake as the first pastor.
A year later the congregation purchased property with an existing building on 109th Avenue in Tampa, and in 1986 Cliff Frink was called as associate pastor. Growth led to the construction of a new auditorium in 1988. In October 1995, Cliff Frink became the second senior pastor and, drawn by Isaiah 54:2 ("Enlarge the place of your tent"), he led the church in 1998 to sell the 109th Avenue property and buy the current Thonotosassa site. For two years, while the new buildings rose, the church met in the gym at Greco Middle School in Temple Terrace. The first worship service in what is now the Student Ministry Building was held in June 2002, and the current worship auditorium opened in August 2004.
The church's faith was tested in 2006, when Pastor Cliff was diagnosed with cancer and went home to be with the Lord in October of that year. Out of that grief, the congregation chose to move forward and called Mike Grover as the third senior pastor in May 2007. A new Connection Center, with classroom space and a multi-purpose hall, had its grand opening on Easter Sunday 2019. In September 2020, Fellowship adopted its first satellite campus in Seffner, Florida, and the Seffner Campus launched publicly to the community on Easter of 2021. The most recent addition, the East Pasco Campus in Zephyrhills, opened as a fresh expression of the church's vision for the next generation of communities it serves.
Wednesday Family Night at the 301 Campus
The midweek meal is one of Fellowship's most recognizable rhythms. Every Wednesday night at the 301 Campus, kids and teens eat free and adults pick up a meal ticket for six dollars. Dinner begins at 5:00 PM (served between 4:30 and 6:30), and the evening then branches out into age-specific ministry.
At 6:45 PM, the fellowship Kids area welcomes children from nursery through fifth grade. The Awana Clubs program is the centerpiece of the night, with Puggles (age 2), Cubbies (ages 3-4), Sparks (K5-2nd grade), and T&T (3rd-5th grade) sections. The focus is Scripture memorization, biblical understanding, and application, and the Awana handbooks introduce the Gospel at an age-appropriate level. Awana is free for all kids, and registration runs through the church's Church Center app. Summer brings Vacation Bible School, day camps, and other seasonal programs under the same Family Night banner.
Also at 6:45 PM, the Student Ministry Building fills with middle and high schoolers for fellowship Youth. The night includes icebreakers, a time of peer-led worship, and a message from God's Word before students split into small groups with caring adult leaders. Small groups are described as the heart of the ministry, where teens ask real questions, discuss relevant topics, and learn how to apply Scripture in daily life.
At 7:00 PM, adults gather for a menu of studies and workshops designed to address life's challenges and strengthen faith. Groups are offered each semester, with topics ranging from marriage and parenting to finances, recovery, and topical Bible study. A Spanish Bible Study (Estudio Bíblico en Español) meets on Wednesday nights as well, beginning right after the congregational dinner and including free childcare so the whole family can participate.
Sunday Mornings at All Three Campuses
Sunday services follow the same shape across every location. Worship gatherings last about sixty minutes and include prayer, congregational singing, and a message from God's Word. Children's ministry runs concurrently at each campus, and on-campus LifeGroups for adults meet during both the 9:30 and 11:00 AM services at the 301 Campus.
At the 301 Campus, on-campus LifeGroups meet during the 9:30 and 11:00 services. The Thonotosassa location also hosts the Pre-Service Prayer Team at 8:30 AM. The Seffner Campus runs children's ministry called SuperChurch at 11:00 AM using the Gospel Project curriculum, with the Seffner Pre-Service Prayer Team meeting at 10:30 AM. The East Pasco Campus offers fellowship Kids at both 9:30 and 11:00 AM and welcomes first-time guests with a welcome bag and a complimentary drink from the Global Café.
First-time visitors are greeted by First Impressions volunteers, who help with parking, greet at the main entrance, and show newcomers around. Guest parking is signed at the entrance to the 301 Campus lot. Dress is described as "a variety of dress styles," and visitors are welcomed as they are.
Children, Students, and the Next Generation
Fellowship's children's ministry, fellowship Kids, serves newborns through fifth graders and is staffed by background-checked volunteers committed to ministering to children. The Sunday morning curriculum is the Gospel Project, a Christ-centered journey through the Bible's big story - the plan of God to rescue His people through His Son, Jesus Christ. Sunday programming is divided into Nursery/Toddlers (0-24 months), Preschool (ages 2-4), and SuperChurch (K5-5th grade).
The Awana midweek program and a Summer Program round out the year. The summer includes Vacation Bible School, day camps, and activities built around biblical teaching, arts and crafts, worship songs with hand motions, skits, puppet shows, games, and snacks. A weekly E-Devotion is emailed to families on Mondays with a recap of the previous Sunday's lesson, a worship song, and discussion starters for all ages.
Teens at the 301 Campus meet for fellowship Youth on Wednesdays at 6:45 PM, with Youth Discipleship on Sundays at 9:30 AM and the main worship gathering at 11:00 AM. Seffner and East Pasco students meet for Youth Discipleship at 9:00 AM and join the 11:00 AM service. Mission trips are encouraged for teens, as is an annual D-Now weekend (Disciple Now) of Bible study, worship, activities, and community building with peers and youth leaders. A Student Leadership Team gives middle and high schoolers a voice in shaping youth ministry events and activities.
Young Adults, Men, Women, and Joy 60+
The Bridge is a Wednesday night gathering at 7:00 PM for college students and young professionals, and Young Professionals meets every other Monday at 7:00 PM. A Sunday LifeGroup for young adults and college-age adults also meets at 9:30 AM.
The Men's Ministry focuses on community, spiritual growth, and camaraderie across ages. Activities include seasonal men's Bible studies, prayer breakfasts, outdoor adventures, service projects, and an annual Men's Retreat designed for spiritual renewal, fellowship, and outdoor activity. The Women's Ministry mirrors that approach, with seasonal Bible studies, prayer meetings, social gatherings, and service projects intended to nurture a community where women can grow spiritually and form deep connections.
Joy 60+ is the church's senior adult ministry, a life group for the "young at heart" that meets for Bible study, discussion, social events, and service projects. The name captures the heart of the group, which celebrates life together and welcomes seniors looking for community, spiritual growth, or service opportunities.
Fellowship Bible Institute and Ministerio Hispano
Fellowship Bible Institute is a three-year program designed to equip men and women with a solid foundation in Scripture and the skills to study and communicate the Bible. Coursework includes Biblical Interpretation, Old Testament Books, New Testament Books, Apologetics, and Bible Doctrines 1 and 2. Registration is fifty dollars, which includes a textbook, and scholarships are available. Inquiries can be directed to Pastor Trevor Williamson.
Ministerio Hispano is the church's Spanish-language ministry. A Spanish Bible Study meets on Wednesday nights at the 301 Campus, beginning right after the congregational dinner. The dinner is served from 4:30 to 6:30 PM, costs six dollars for adults, and is free for children seventeen and under. Childcare is provided so that the whole family can attend. The ministry is described as a space of faith, community, and spiritual growth for the Spanish-speaking community.
Global Missions and Faith Promise
Global Missions is one of Fellowship's central commitments. The church supports mission partners, lifts their work in prayer, and encourages short-term mission trips locally and internationally. The Engage Conference is a church-wide, four-day gathering focused on God's work globally, nationally, and in the local community, featuring dynamic preaching, breakout sessions for children, shared meals, and meaningful interaction with mission partners.
The church's global outreach is funded through Faith Promise missions giving, a Scriptural approach to grace giving inspired by 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. Each person or family prayerfully commits an amount to give regularly - weekly, monthly, or on another schedule - and that combined commitment determines the funds available to support missionaries for the coming year. Over the past decade, Fellowship has contributed well over one million dollars to gospel ministry through Faith Promise. Annual contributions run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and have led thousands to faith in Christ.
What Fellowship Believes
Fellowship holds to a doctrinal statement that is consistent with historic Baptist and evangelical teaching. The church affirms that the Old and New Testament Scriptures are the inerrant, verbally inspired, and infallible Word of God, the only authoritative rule of faith and practice. It teaches one God eternally existent in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ, who is true God and true Man.
The church believes in the total depravity of man, salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the gift of eternal life for all who believe. It teaches the blood atonement of Christ as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit, and the existence of Satan as a defeated enemy whose final doom is certain.
The ordinances recognized by the church are baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, both reserved for obedient believers. The Second Coming is described as premillennial and pretribulational: a personal, visible, and glorious return whose time is unrevealed but always imminent. The church also affirms the priesthood of all believers, holding that every born-again believer has direct access to God through Christ and the right and responsibility to study and interpret Scripture under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Getting Connected and Next Steps
Fellowship offers a clear pathway for newcomers. The First Step page introduces who Jesus is and why His story matters. Connecting to Fellowship (often abbreviated C2F) is a fast-track gathering where visitors meet a pastor, enjoy refreshments, and hear the church's vision, mission, and values in less than an hour. Baptism is offered for new believers or for any follower of Christ who has not yet been baptized; the church teaches that baptism is by immersion and follows salvation.
LifeGroups are at the heart of ongoing community, with groups for every stage of life. The Church Center app, available as a mobile and web experience, lets people access a calendar of events, watch sermons, give online, join groups, and register for events. Giving is also possible in service through offering envelopes and by mail to the Thonotosassa address. Prayer requests can be submitted online and marked private or public, and a Churchwide Prayer email updates the congregation on requests from members and mission partners.
For those ready to serve, more than a dozen volunteer teams are listed, including fellowship Kids, fellowship Youth, First Impressions, the Global Café, Meal Team, Office Assistance, LifeGroup leaders, Safety, Music and Media, Prayer, Member Care, Follow Up, Global Missions, Outreach Event, Communications, and Maintenance. The message on every page is the same: connect in worship, grow in community, and live on mission.